🦜 Main Tools in Parrot Security OS (2025 Edition)

Back2Skills Official Beginner Guide to Parrot OS Hacking Tools

🎯 Why Parrot OS Comes Packed With Tools

Parrot Security OS includes a complete set of pre-installed tools used for:

🧑‍💻 Ethical hacking
🛡️ System auditing
🔍 Vulnerability assessment
📦 Digital forensics
🔐 Privacy & anonymity

Compared to other distros, Parrot OS focuses on lightweight performance, sandboxed applications, and developer-friendly tools, making it one of the best choices for CEH beginners.

🧰 Overview of Main Tool Categories

Category	Purpose
🔎 Reconnaissance	Collect information & scan systems
🕳️ Vulnerability Analysis	Identify weaknesses
💣 Exploitation Tools	Perform controlled attacks
📡 Wireless Hacking	Test Wi-Fi security
🔐 Password Attacks	Crack passwords safely
🧬 Forensics	Analyze files & digital evidence
🛡️ Anonymity / Privacy	Hide your identity & encrypt traffic
🧑‍💻 Development Tools	Write and test your own scripts

🔎 1. Reconnaissance Tools (Information Gathering)

Parrot includes everything you need to footprint and analyze targets.

🟩 Nmap

Network scanner used to discover hosts and services.

Example command:

nmap -sV <target-ip>

🟩 theHarvester

Collects emails, names, hosts from public sources.

theHarvester -d example.com -b all

🟩 Dnsenum / dnsrecon

Discovers DNS information like subdomains.

dnsrecon -d example.com

🟩 WhatWeb

Identifies technologies used on websites.

whatweb https://example.com

🕳️ 2. Vulnerability Analysis Tools

Used to identify security weaknesses before exploitation.

🟧 OpenVAS (via external install)

Industry-grade vulnerability scanner.

🟧 Nikto

Scans websites for insecure files and outdated versions.

nikto -h http://example.com

🟧 Lynis

System audit tool for Linux hardening.

sudo lynis audit system

💣 3. Exploitation Tools

Tools used for controlled penetration testing in your lab.

🔴 Metasploit Framework

The most popular exploitation platform.

msfconsole

Example:

use exploit/multi/handler

🔴 BeEF (Browser Exploitation Framework)

Used to test browser vulnerabilities.

Access it via:

http://127.0.0.1:3000/ui/panel

🔴 sqlmap

Automates SQL injection testing.

sqlmap -u "http://example.com/login.php?user=1" --batch

📡 4. Wireless Testing Tools

Parrot OS shines in Wi-Fi & radio frequency testing.

📶 Aircrack-ng Suite

Used for Wi-Fi auditing and cracking.

Start monitor mode:

airmon-ng start wlan0

Capture handshake:

airodump-ng wlan0mon

Crack password:

aircrack-ng capture.cap -w wordlist.txt

📶 Wifite

Automated wireless attack tool.

wifite

📶 Reaver

Tests WPS vulnerabilities.

reaver -i wlan0mon -b <BSSID> -vv

🔐 5. Password Cracking Tools

🔑 John the Ripper

Password cracking engine.

john hashes.txt

🔑 Hydra

Brute forces services like SSH, FTP, Telnet, etc.

hydra -l admin -P rockyou.txt ssh://<target-ip>

🧬 6. Digital Forensics Tools

Used for cybersecurity investigations.

🧪 Autopsy

GUI forensic suite used in real cases.

autopsy

🧪 Foremost

Recovers deleted files.

foremost image.dd -o output/

🧪 Ghidra

Reverse engineering toolkit.

🛡️ 7. Privacy & Anonymity Tools

Parrot is known for security tools that protect your identity.

🟦 AnonSurf

Routes your traffic through Tor.

Enable:

anonsurf start

Disable:

anonsurf stop

🟦 Tor Browser

Built-in and ready to use.

You can launch it directly from the Applications menu.

🟦 Encryption Tools

VeraCrypt
GnuPG
OnionShare (anonymous file sharing)

🧑‍💻 8. Development Tools

Perfect for beginners learning exploit writing.

💻 Python 3 + Pip + Jupyter

Pre-installed for scripting.

Example:

python3 script.py

💻 VS Code / Geany

Lightweight code editors for penetration testing projects.

💻 Docker

Run isolated apps or hacking environments.

🧠 Best Practices for Using Parrot Tools (Beginner Tips)

⭐ Start slowly

Don’t try all tools at once. Begin with:

Nmap
Nikto
Hydra
sqlmap

⭐ Practice legally

Only test on systems you own or in labs.
Use VMs: Kali + Parrot + Metasploitable.

⭐ Update weekly

Parrot improves constantly:

sudo parrot-upgrade

⭐ Take notes

Build your “Pentesting Notebook.”

⭐ Learn categories, not tools

Focus on:

Recon
Scanning
Exploiting
Cracking
Defense

Tools will change — categories stay.

🧭 Key Takeaways

🦜 Parrot Security OS is lightweight, fast, and ideal for beginners.
🧰 It includes hundreds of pre-installed hacking tools.
🔎 Perfect for CEH, OSINT, Wi-Fi testing, and digital forensics.
💻 Easy to use inside a VM on Windows or macOS.
👨‍💻 A great alternative to Kali Linux for learners.